it was in) old ns and lly on Fellows ginia,) od as nce in ere be Valley, a, and ar the Shen -th rivetween length. which h river arallel ceases, loah. ok the ursued ling in e jour sure of arrived and the e worst he en-. indifacknel, ied up left us, doctor, vas on. Peter ember, : though it was the first (and I trust the last) time I was in his house. To compensate, however, I had a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge out of his piazza. Shortly after leaving Peter Hanger's, I began to draw near the place where I spent my childhood and here we have the Middle River again, quite a large stream; and on the opposite shore (I can hardly bazard a look) stands a house once and still familiar to me. I had often been at that house when young, and it revived in my mind scenes long since past: it produced mingled emotions of joy and sorrow, of pleasure and regret. An absence of thirty-six years, embracing a thousand (nay, ten thousand) vicissitudes, rendered those objects melancholy pleasing. The river, the house, (Col. Anderson's,) the gate, all were familiar, and inspired feelings such as I shall ever esteem the most exquisite of my life. The stone meeting-house, too, where formerly youth and beauty, age and wealth, were alike displayed; my feelings became overcharged with a thousand tender recollections, so much so, that I dared hardly trust a glance toward the house of my infant years. 1 can no more. In the course of the day, I passed the former dwelling of Col. Grattan, on north river. I spent the night at Mr. Grattan's, and often saw his daughters at balls and partics on Middle river, where I lived. But the appearance of this place had no resemblance of its former likeness, owing to the erection of new buildings. The son, I am told, resides at the old farm, and has improved in wealth. Old Mr. Grattan, the father, had a daughter married to Col. Gamble, formerly of Staunton, and latterly of Richmond, in Virginia; another daughter of his, married Col. Brown, of Greenbriar county, who was one of the first settlers of that county; he and his wife are still living, though both her and Mrs. Gamble must be very old. This day was likewise distinguished by two natural curiosities; one was a natural canal, which conveyed the waters of North river to the merchant-mills, belonging to Mr. Grattan; the road runs with it some distance. The other was a place where the road was confined by the North river, on our right, and a large creek on our left, to a narrow space which forms a pre cipice on each side, that would prove a lovers' leap to the unwary traveller, who might miss his track. It is frightfully sublime to look at those streams as you drive over them, upon a road but barely wide enough for the carriage. Be on be and hav fan the I ha rea the: col pla My the twe ed ham this wish gini 1: Blu imp The road to Winchester from Staunton as observed before, lies through the celebrated lime-stone valley. This valley is about two hundred miles in length from Fincastle, to the place where we cross the Shenandoah, where it ends. It is diversified with neat and beautiful villages, from one end to the other. The duke of Rochefocault passing through this valley, some years back, observed that he could not discern such beauties in it, as had been ascribed to it by travellers. This remark from him surprises us the more, knowing his taste as we do. I cannot see how it could be improved; it is one continued effusion of rural beauties, relieved at short intervals by handsome villages. It runs between two mountains of moderate height, which, with the Shenandoah to your right, keeps pace with the traveller, who makes his way through the middle of this fertile valley, which is in a high state of cultivation, presenting endless farms, indicative at once of wealth and industry. The stage makes the trip between Staunton and Winchester in two days, one hundred miles. I stopped, however, at Newtown, a small village eight miles on the west of Winchester, and spent a day at Mr. Helm's tavern, where good cheer and the most studied attention, in some degree restored my almost dislocated limbs.prod The road runs over a rock of limestone the whole route. This and the rough constructed stage in which one is conveyed, goes near to take a person's life, unless they are made of iron. On the evening of the second day, I took the road again, and spent the night at Winchester. Lord Fairfax was the proprietor of Winchester, and stand laid out the town. Mr. M'Guire, one of the finest old which men in the world, lent me a coach to go as far as theic, L river, which is twenty five miles from Winchester. We selfi arrived at Berry's ferry about day-light in the morning,she i just in time to see the Shenandoah, which we forded, as it though it was very wide. A family by the name of then left, the r defia es t to th top East too, calle tions. Leap to It is I drive for the ved be . This a Fin ndoah, autiful Rocheback, ́s in it, remark as we : is one hort in en two -benanr, who valley, g enddustry. I Winopped, on the 's tav ention, limbs. › route. Berry lives on the east side of the river, on the best farm on the road. Accustomed to travelling as I am, it may be supposed my opportunies of observing the character and manners of people are numerous, but as much as I have mingled in the world, I never witnessed a kinder family than Berry's. Their parents were both dead; the family consisted of several young men and women. I had but a few minutes to breakfast, which was partly ready when I arrived, but the kindness and assiduity of these people was actually painful. The weather being cold, they would not suffer me to move from the fire, but placed the table with my breakfast on it upon the hearth. My wishes were consulted on the dishes, and gratified to the utmost; and when I come to pay the bill it was only twenty-five cents! But this was nothing to what followed when I set out; I was loaded with cheese, biscuit, ham and apples, enough to have lasted me a week, and this was accompanied with a thousand smiles, and good wishes at parting; this was the last house in West Virginia. In a few yards from Berry's we begin to ascend the Blue Ridge, which at this place is nothing but an almost imperceivable ascent of two or three miles. Now and then I could perceive, at a distance, on the right and left, a rocky spur, covered with pine, stretching down to the road in sharp points, and sometimes throwing rocks of defiance athwart the travellers course. The road passes through a gap of the mountain, which, nevertheless, produces a scanty subsistence of maize and small grain, to those few inhabitants who live on the road. On the top of the Blue Ridge you have a handsome view of East Virginia, for miles distant: another mountain, too, shows itself at a distance; the driver said it was hester.called the Bull mountain. On the top of the mountain r, and stands a large poplar tree, near the road, on the right of est old which, three counties of Virginia corner; viz: Freder - as theic, Loudon, and Jefferson. Virginia now presents herWeself in a new guise, different in all respects, from what orning, she is west of the Blue Ridge; this change is as sudden forded, as it is complete. The face of the country, the producme oftions, the manner of cultivating, the appearance of the one is ss they r. day, people, and the live stock, are no longer the same. No more lime stone, no rich land, no bold rivers, no lusty timber, every thing dwindles to nothing. The people are small, the cattle are small, stock of all sorts are hardly worthy the name. The country no longer displays variety, no more hills and dales, no luxuriant meadows, no more bending barns, no flowing fountains; the sameness is now and then relieved by the seat of some demi-lord. The land is thin; but in its appearance, so far as respects its natural growth, and its undulating surface, it is very much like the cotton land in Alabama. It is covered with a light growth of black oak and black jack; the soil red, though with that mixture of black which distinguishes the land of Alabama, and the barrens of Kentucky; like these it is free from stones. But the idea of its poverty, compared with those lands, leaves on the mind a gloomy impression. The most prominent traits of distinction in the personal appearance of the people of East or Old Virginia, are their diminutive size, ignorance, assurance, and imbecility. They have some, a great deal of animation, the eye particularly; but this accompanied with so much impu dence and effrontery as to render their presence at first sight disgusting. Persons of the same class, I mean those of the same pretensions, in the western country, form a direct contrast to these, in all respects. They are stout able-bodied men, modest and unassuming in their behaviour. The distinguishing trait of counte nance in one, is impudence; that of the other is modes ty. The same disparity is visible in their minds; nothing affords a greater proof of this than the condition of their farms and dwellings. The western people speak very slow, these speak quick; the first say little, the latter a great deal. These remarks are, however, the result of a few hours observation, but they must strike those who like myself come from the west. Even the wag goners, of the western country, are readily distinguished from those others, in acts of politeness, by giving us the road, while the eastern waggoner shows no prefer ence but for himself. The distance from Winchester to Alexandria is sev en the sta dri tav and day wo Ne tair for his fam ed the for app gre buil gain thin app thru gha had redu wha thre by e only had lette fort, who She COUR days felt prov from Conv c. No › lusty people orts are er dis xuriant ntains; seat of appearundu in Alck oak nixture ja, and stones. lands, he most 1ppeare their ecility. the eye impu e at first I mean Country, They ning in counte modes nothing of their ak very e latter e result e those e wag. inguish iving us prefer is sev enty miles; which journey is accomplished in a day by |